Golden Retriever attraction shuts after court case

The dogs were rescued by the RSPCA and

A Golden Retriever petting experience in Somerset will not reopen after RSPCA inspectors found dogs in poor condition and some fighting and killing each other.

Nicolas St James, 62, was banned from keeping dogs for 10 years after some of the animals died in his care while he ran the Dunster attraction.

He was handed an 18-week prison sentence, suspended for one year, at North Somerset Magistrates' Court in Weston-super-Mare on Tuesday, after pleading guilty to animal welfare charges.

"In light of recent events, we are sorry to say that The Golden Retriever Experience won't be reopening," a statement published on the attraction's website said.

The attraction had become popular after social media videos showed customers enjoying play and petting sessions with as many as 30 dogs.

But in May 2024, the experience had its licence revoked by Somerset Council following a police and RSPCA investigation.

This week the magistrates court was told a visit to the site by the RSPCA and Somerset Council found conditions were "grossly overcrowded", with 20 of the dogs living in a galley kitchen with a concrete floor and others cramped into a bedroom.

This left the retrievers fighting over limited resources.

Somerset Council said it expected St James, of Carhampton in Minehead, to drop an appeal over his operating license now he has been convicted.

The experience website said anyone with a gift voucher should get in touch by e-mail.